Juergen,
? Your situation is - almost always - caused by one or more "wiring errors".? Think about your wiring
this way?
? Every booster district is separated from all other booster districts by double gaps ... everywhere.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?- and -
? Every breaker district is separated from all other breaker districts by double gaps ... everywhere.
? The most common wiring errors are either the double gaps aren't working (unlikely but not?
unheard of) or there are one of more sections of track bus that have feeders that cross booster
or breaker districts (the same track power bus is wired to track on more than one booster/breaker
district).
? "Divide and Conquer".
? The best way to find these is to first find out 'what's really happening' ... by cutting power (removing
the connections at a terminal block?) to all of the districts and then connecting them back up One At A
Time - all the while testing what track is/isn't powered (RRamp meter, light bulb, old style meter).
After you have figured out which track blocks are connected when they shouldn't be -then- go under
the layout and figure out where the incorrect wiring is.?
? Somewhere you have two (more?) districts connected to each other.
? Often the layout owner won't even know this wiring problem has happened - because trains will Run
fine ... until?there is a short (somebody runs a turnout or a derailment) and then trains in more than one
district?will stop/come back alive after the short is cleared.
? The whole purpose of having booster/breaker districts is to isolate others from the shorts that you
experience - as much as possible.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?- Jim in the PNW
P.S. If you live in the PNW contact me - off list - and I'll see if we can set up a time for me to visit.
Jim Betz